Car-coupling.



S. V. LAUGHINGHOUSE.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1910.

1 ZWW Inventor,

Attorneys SAMUEL V. LAUGrI IINGHQUS'E, GRIIETON; NORTH CAROLINA.

car-c rnme- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 33, 1910. Serial No, 547,094.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL V. LAUGHING- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, resic ing at Grifton, in the county of Pitt and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupler, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to couplers for use in connectionv with passenger and freight cars, mine cars, etc., and which is also useful for coupling other vehicles and, in fact, wherever it is desirable to employ an automatic coupler between two structures.

One of 'the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a coupling head mounted for swinging movement and which is normally held yieldingly in a predetermined position, said head being provided with means whereby, when the head is in engagement with an opposed similar head, thetwo heads maybe simultaneously shifted in opposite directions to effect the uncoupling thereof, thus reducing to the minimum the movement of the coupling head necessary to effect the uncoupling of the parts.

A further objectis to provide a coupling which is simple, durable and compact in construction and which can be readily actuated from a point at one end or side of a car for the purpose of uncoupling. h

WVith these and other objects in view invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coupler constructed in accord ance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the coupler, the relative positions of the parts during the completion of the uncoupling operation being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a reduced section showing a modified form of car coupler actuating means.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a hollow draw bar adapted to be connected to a car structure A in any preferred manner, there being a reduced opening 2 at the outer end of the draw bar. An arm 3 extends through the opening 2 and is pivotally mounted at its inner end upon a pivot bolt A or the like extending vertically through the draw bar. The outer endof the arm 3 has an arcuate coupling head 5 integral therewith and extending laterally from the arm, one side of said arm being preferably cut away to form a recess 6 extending-back of the liead'5. Said head also extends beyond the upper face of the arm 3 so as to forma shoulder or abutment 7. A spring Sis arranged within the draw bar landisconnec-ted at one end to said bar and at its other end to the bar 3, this spring serving to hold-said arm normally pressed against one side wall of theopening 2 and normally spaced from the opposite wall of said opening. An arcuate guide rib 9 is secured to or formed upon the bottom of the draw bar 1 and the arm'3 is recessedin its lower face so as to receive this rib and'to be properly guided and reinforced by it.

A lever 10 is mounted on the arm 3 and pivotally connected there-to by means of a stud ;11-'or the like extending from said lever at a point adjacent the opening 2. The outer end of thislever is adapted to nor: mally bear against the abutment 7 and one sideofsaid outer end portion of the lever is recessed, as indicated at 12 so as to leave the recess 6 unobstructed when the lever 10 is in contact with the abutment 7. An actuating chain 13, a lever or the like is connected to the inner end of lever 10 and is adapted to extend loosely through an opening 14: formed in one side of the draw-bar 1, this chain being extended to one side of the structure A and preferably under a guide sheave 15 secured to the structure. The outer end of the chain may be loosely supported by a bracket 16 and at a point where it can be conveniently reached for the purpose of actuating the lever 10. It is to be understood that an opening 14: may be formed in each side of the draw bar so as to permit the chain or other actuating device to be extended in either direction therefrom.

As has heretofore been pointed out, the arm 3 is normally held yieldingly against one wall of the opening 2. It will be apparent therefore that when two oppositely disposed similar couplers are moved together, the meeting rounded faces of the coupler heads 5 will cooperate to shift the heads laterally in opposite directions, thus placing the springs 8 under stress until after the heads have passed each other whereupon each head will spring automatically into the recess 6 back of the opposite head. The two coupler heads will thus be held securely interlocked.

When it is desired to uncouple the heads the lever 10 of either of them can be shifted by means of the chain 13 or other actuating device so as to cause the recessed end of the lever to bear against the coupler head seated in the adjoining recess 6 and to push said head laterally out of the recess. At the same time lever 10 will push against that wall of opening 2 with which the arm 10 contacts and will therefore shift the arm and its head laterally. In other Words the said lever, when actuated, operates to simultaneously move the two coupler heads in opposite directions, thus greatly facilitating the uncoupling operation and reducing, to the minimum, the necessary movement of each coupler head in order to uncouple the same. By utilizing the arcuate guide rib 9 the pivot 4 is relieved of all strain due to the draft upon the arm 3. Instead of utilizing a chain for the purpose of actuating the lever 10, a rod 15 may be pivotally connect ed to the rear end of said lever and extend ed transversely through the openings 14 in the draw bar 1 each end of the said rod being connected to an actuating lever 16 located at one side of the car.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and ar rangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in th appended claim.

l/Vhat is claimed is A car coupler including a draw bar having an opening at one end, an arm extending through the opening and into the draw bar, the inner end of said arm being pivotally connected to the draw bar, a coupling head at the outer end of the arm, a spring within the draw bar and connected to the arm and draw bar for holding said arm normally pressed against one side wall of the opening in the draw bar, a lever fulcrumed upon the arm at a point between the pivot of said arm and the opening in the draw bar, the outer end of said lever being positioned normally at one side of the coupling head, and means connected to the inner end of the lever for swinging said lever about its pivot, said lever when operated by said means constituting means for successively swinging against one side wall of the opening in the draw bar and shifting the pivoted arm away from said side wall thereby to move the coupling head and the active end of the lever simultaneously in opposite directions to uncouple the head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL V. LAUGHINGHOUSE.

WVitnesses:

- C. E. DOYLE,

GEO. B. PITTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. c. 

